Jane-Marie Auret is bringing renewed attention to contemporary conversations surrounding Generation Z identity, mental health, and cultural displacement through her book Screens and the Ego, a literary work that blends memoir and
fiction to examine the emotional and social pressures facing young adults.
Rather than focusing solely on social media, the narrative explores broader themes, including immigration, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), university culture, family dynamics, and the tension between modern psychological frameworks and traditional spiritual wisdom.
Through personal storytelling and reflective prose, Auret contrasts contemporary therapy culture with lessons drawn from her Arab grandmother’s worldview, a connection to cultural substance which seemed to be evaporating in liberal, presenting readers with an intergenerational dialogue. The diaspora seemed to be a bastion of cultural meaning as the cohesion of community and cultural identity disintegrated around the author.
Screens and the Ego centers particularly on the internal struggles of young women attempting to reconcile authentic selfhood. Throughout the work, Auret addresses topics such as digital addiction, identity confusion, and the search for purpose in a rapidly changing world. The narrative combines literary analysis with lived experience, offering readers both critique and reflection rather than prescriptive solutions.
While public conversations about Generation Z often focus on surface-level trends, Screens and the Ego aims to provide a more nuanced examination of the invisible emotional and cultural forces shaping the generation’s worldview. The book contributes to a growing body of literature that questions how digital environments
influence not only behavior, but also identity formation and spiritual well-being.
Auret, a graduate of Emory University with degrees in Arabic Language and Comparative Literature, brings across-cultural and academically informed perspective to her writing.
The book is currently available through major online retailers and booksellers.
